South Philly (Mattress Flip Front)

This young boy is in the middle of a daring flip over a pile of worn
mattresses. His arms swing out to his sides, helping him to complete
his rotation. The boy’s perfectly vertical body and round face create
the shape of an exclamation point that hovers over the blue horizontal
line of the top mattress. How did he jump so high and where will he
land? Will the mattresses cushion his landing, or will he soar right
over them?

In the background, another boy in a white T-shirt looks on. He holds
his hand up to his mouth, perhaps reacting to his friend’s acrobatic
moves. The pavement, sidewalk, and red brick building with graffiti
tell us that this scene takes place outside on the street or perhaps
in an empty lot. The mattresses are missing some of their stuffing
and the pile has shifted to the right, suggesting this game may have
been going on for a while.

Zoe Strauss, the artist who took this picture, believes that “an
important role of art is to mirror what is happening in the world.”1
She often photographs what is most familiar to her: the people and
places in her neighborhood in South Philadelphia. This particular
photograph is part of her larger project to document life in the city.
During the ten years that she worked on the project, Strauss held
annual outdoor public exhibitions of over two hundred of the
photographs. Each of these pictures tells a story, and together
they present an intimate narrative of Philadelphia.

Let’s Look

What is going on in this picture?

Describe the setting of this
photograph—time of day, season, and location.

Let’s Look Again

How do you think each boy
is feeling?

Where do you think the boy
in the air will land? Then what will happen?